Saudi employee arrested for allegedly bugging OpenAI office

OpenAI has arrested a Saudi employee, Abdulrahman Alfozan, for allegedly installing a recording device in one of the company's San Francisco offices, according to federal prosecutors and the AI firm. The device, discovered last month, was hidden inside the executive conference room of an OpenAI facility. Alfozan, a 35-year-old engineer who had been employed by OpenAI since July 2025, allegedly concealed a USB device wrapped in toilet paper within the television in the meeting room.

He was found on camera near the restricted conference room multiple times and had accessed OpenAI's internal systems, including calendars, schedules, and employee locations, using productivity tools. Security footage shows Alfozan looking behind the television where the device was placed. The Trump administration has prioritized the concept of "superintelligence" as a national security priority, with the Director of National Intelligence emphasizing the need to defend American intellectual property from foreign threats.

Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a fine of US$250,000 for allegedly attempting to intercept oral communications. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on October 19.